


Before the New Year's Resolution

by willneverbeordinary



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Emotional Infidelity, M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-24 16:27:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13217631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willneverbeordinary/pseuds/willneverbeordinary
Summary: Link gets a call from Rhett close to midnight on New Year's and they toe even closer to crossing the line than they have in a whole year of a not professional enough relationahip.





	1. Chapter 1

Link sighs into his phone. “You weren't supposed to call, Rhett.”

“I know, man, but, listen--”

“I sent you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year text. You wasn't supposed to call. We decided we should be apart. It's good for us to be apart sometimes.”

Link leans against the wall, staring at the bottles in the shower. He'd snuck into the bathroom to take Rhett's call.

“I know!” Rhett grumbles through the phone. “It was your idea. Just like spending our Thanksgiving vacation apart was your idea. Link, I don't like, I don't-- I hate it when we're apart, man!”

Link shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “You say that but every time we spend too long together everything I do annoys you.”

“Hey, that's not true!”

“Really?”

There was a moment of silence and Link sank down on the closed lid of the toilet, elbows against his knees, and head buried in his free hand.

“Okay, yeah, but I still want to be with you,” Rhett says,” I don't care that you're obnoxious and that it's hopeless to find somewhere you wanna eat. I don't care that you want to fight every 15 minutes. I don't care.”

Link leans back, head against the wall and eyes staring at the ceiling. He sighs once again.

“That's kinda the problem,” he says. “We need to try and be more uh, professional around each other.”

He could hear Rhett's frown when Rhett spoke. “When are we not professional? I don't understand?”

“When we nap on the couch together?” Link gestures absently with his hand.

“What's wrong with that, man? It's just a nap!”

Link rolls his eyes and gets up, pacing back and forth, arm wrapped tightly around his chest.

“What do you think would happen? Link?” Rhett's voice is light and there's a hint of laughter but it's a veneer and underneath it, Link can discern something breathless and trembling.

He shuts his eyes tightly. He takes a deep breath.

“Nothing. Forget it,” he says on another sigh.

“Hey.” Rhett's voice is soft and it nestles through the cracks of whatever walls Link has managed to build. It curls warm and tingling in his chest.

He punches the wall.

“Whoa, what's going on? You okay?”

Taking off his glasses and rubbing at the tears that sting in his eyes, Link snarls out a “ _nothing, I'm fine!”_

Rhett is quiet for a moment. Link tries to keep his breath from trembling too much in the unforgiving silence.

“I don't want to talk to you,” Link mumbles.

“Don't hang up!”

Link's finger was never even close to the end call button and he keeps talking. “Why did you call?”

“I miss you.”

“We spend every day together. We've just done the tour where we spent every weekend together too. We wrote the book, we released Buddy System. Rhett, we've been joined at the fucking hip for months!”

Rhett's voice is hushed when he speaks. “I know. I miss it.”

“I don't want to spend all my time with you. I didn't want you to tag along when I started mountain biking, I go to the gym at ass o clock in the morning because I don't want to be there at the same time as you.” Link takes a deep breath. “I can't, Rhett, I can't be with you all the time.”

“Why?” Rhett's voice is small. It's garbled. It's wavering and breaking apart into fraction that Link feel like needle pinpricks to his heart.

He wrings his hands. “Because I can't take it. When you get fed up with me and act like a jerk. If we ever run into each other at the gym, all you do is make fun of me.”

“I don't mean it.”

“Rhett, you need to stop acting like a middle school boy with a crush.”

“What?! Don't be ridiculous. I don't--”

“Don't act like it, then!”

“I'm not!”

“Yeah, you are!”

“Yeah? You're acting like a frigid bitch!”

“Nice. You're a sexist jerk.”

“You're a tease!”

“You're an idiot!”

“I love you, dammit!”

Link sunk down on the floor, legs bent in weird angles like a doll thrown away and forgotten. His glasses had been left at the sink and he rubs his eyes again and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I love you too,” he says.

There was another silence. Link listened to his own heart struggling to beat, all weak and fluttering, hurt and confused.

“What would-- like, what would happen if we-- if we were _less_ professional?” Rhett asks in barely above a whisper.

Link gives a short, empty laugh. “We'd wreck two marriages and mess up our kids’ lives.”

“Yeah, well, I never really wanted kids in the first place.”

“You're _horrible_.”

Link imagines Rhett shrugging in the silence.

“Like you'd do it. Nice tweet about your and your wife's tree, by the way.”

“Oh, screw you! Don't bring Jessie into it.”

Link laughed hollowly again. “How could I not? She's your wife.”

“Yeah, but--”

“But what?”

“You're--”

“I'm what, Rhett? Your friend? Your business partner? Your blood brother?”

“I mean, yes?”

“If you don't make an effort to treat her right, man--”

“I _am_ treating her right, _I love her.”_

“Then what are you doing calling me on New Year's this close to midnight and telling me you miss me?”

More silence and Link pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping an arm around his legs.

“Rhett?” Link mumbles, one shaky hand gripping the phone and the other clutching at the fabric of his pants.

The answer was a hushed “Yeah?”

“I miss you too.”

Rhett only let out a small, soft noise in response and Link squeezes his eyes shut tightly.

“It can't be right. I spend more time with you than I do with Christy.” He huffs a pretend laugh. “I should have married you.”

“Don't joke about it, man.”

Link shakes his head. Rhett's voice is a chorus of emotions but Link picks out sounds of pain from it.

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, well.”

There's background noises like Rhett is shifting around.

“Where are you, anyway?” Link asks.

“What? You know where I am, what do you mean?”

Link rolls his eyes. He picks at his jeans’ leg. “No, where in the house, dude!”

“Oh! Uh. Bedroom,” comes the sheepish reply and Link suppress a giggle.

“I'm in the bathroom. So if it's a bit echo-like--”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought it sounded echoey.”

“Yeah, that's why.”

 _Silence_.

“Hey, but, like,” Rhett begins and Link clenches his jaw and takes a deep breath, “I've read more about polyamory, there are books, I got one, you could read it, it's called _More Than Two_ something, it's like a guide. We could, it could work.”

“It's just one of your 'layers',” Link made air quotes Rhett can't see, “we get into this and you'll find something else.”

“It’s not like that.”

“How would it work?” Link raises his voice, gesturing as he talks. “Christy gets jealous, shit, _you_ get jealous. What if I _do_ like one of you more?”

There wasn't even a beat before Rhett said “As long as it's me you like more.”

“See?”

“But what if you were only mine.”

It's soft but with a steely edge too it, not exactly a question, and Link closes his eyes once more. His heart is pounding against his ribcage with increased desperation with every beat.

He lets out a sight. “I’d get to kiss you tonight at midnight.”

Rhett's breath hitches and Link gives a lopsided smirk before continuing in a low voice.

“I’d get to take you to bed.”

There's a small, breathy curse from Rhett and Link smiles. Then Rhett talks.

“And make love to me slow and sweet?” Rhett says.

“Shut up!” Link spits and adds ' _jerk_ ’ under his breath.

There's a laughter from Rhett and it tugs at the corners of Link's lips until he smiles again and gives a huff of laughter too.

“Or quick and dirty,” Rhett continues.

Link licks his lips, shifts where he sits. “Anything you want, Rhett.”

“I want all of it. So, and, that's the problem,” Rhett says.

Link hums at him. “I was going to make a New Year's Resolution. You know I keep them if I make them.”

“I know. What was you gonna promise?”

“To get off the pot. The-- uh-- us-thing one. That one.”

“Oh.”

Link stretches his legs out, massaging his knees. “Yeah.”

“Well.” There's a pause. “Are you?”

“No.”

“So?”

Link sighs. Heavily, like his lungs are waterlogged and he's far, far from the surface.

“So,” he says.

“Hey, hold on!” Rhett says suddenly, a surge of energy in his voice.

Link rolls his eyes. “What? Hello?”

He brings the phone down from his ear and looks at the screen and his mouth falls open at the video call from Rhett. With a shaky hand he accepts it.

“If we're gonna promise to keep it professional after this, I want to do something!”

“Yeah? What?” Link is frowning at Rhett's excited expression.

“A phone kiss! C’mon, kiss me! Through the phone man, come on!”

Link rolls his eyes so hard his entire head follows. When he looks at Rhett again, Rhett is still excited.

“That's stupid.”

“C’mon, just, here, kiss me, man!”

Link leans in and kisses the screen of his phone.

“You know the screen is full of bacteria,” he says as he pulls back.

“Don't ruin the mood.”

“What mood?”

Link watches Rhett bite his lip and frown. “The mood I wanted to create, man!”

“Sorry.”

“Hey, will you read the book?”

“What book?” Link gets up off the floor and puts his glasses back on.

Rhett is scowling at him. “The polyamory guide! You'll read it, right?”

“Yeah, Rhett. I'll read it.”

Rhett smiles at him and Link manages to get the corners of his lips to lift at least a little.

“Happy New Year, Rhett.”

“Happy New Year, baby,” Rhett says in that soft, higher pitch and Link shakes his head.

“Don't call me that.”

“Don't be in love with me,” Rhett throws back in a light voice.

“I wish. You're an ass. I feel for Jessie.”

“Yeah? Christy isn't much better off!” Rhett shots back, an eyebrow raised and mirth in his eyes.

“Hey, don't disrespect my wife!”

Rhett only laughs. His cheeks goes round and his nose crinkles.

Link smiles back at him. “I really do love you, Rhett.”

Rhett nods, biting his lip, the phone at an angle where he seems to be looking up at Link from underneath his lashes and Link licks his lips.

“Love you too,” Rhett says and it's low and breathy and Link has to close his eyes for a moment and dig his nails into the palm of his hand.

“Can you make a New Year's Resolution?” He says, eyes still closed.

“Sure.”

“Don't. Don't make me a bad man.”

“You know. I never keep those promises.”

Link opens his eyes. He smirks at Rhett. “Yeah. I know.”

He ends the calls and walks joins the small party.

Right before midnight, his phone chirps. Christy frowns at him but he looks at the text anyway. It's a black and white, soft toned photo of Rhett. The angels are a bit odd, as if he couldn't quite figure out how to place the phone to get both his face and body in the shot.

Link's cheeks go a bit warm at Rhett's bedroom eyes look and his hitched up dress shirt and slightly tugged down pants, one thumb hooked into the waistband of the underwear and pulling down on them slightly. Nothing’s really revealed, just the hint of pubic hair, but Link's mouth goes dry.

The phone chirps in his hand and a text follows the image saying ' _i definitely promise to not keep sending these.’_

Link sends back a _'screw you’._

People around him are counting down _10_ , _9, 8,_ Christy taps at his shoulder.

Another message saying ' _that’s the idea_ ’ shows up.

 _7, 6, 5,_ Christy grabs him by the arm.

Link writes another curse back at Rhett.

 _4, 3, 2,_ and Christy is trying to wrangle the phone away from him with one hand as the other cups his face and tries to get him to look at her.

 _1,_ and the phone rings. Link picks up and Rhett's voice fills his ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With angst and heartbreak and suspense ends the year! Happy New Year, mythical beasts!


	2. Making No Promises

They drove separately to work the first day back from their Christmas break. As soon as the office door closes behind Rhett, he grasps Link's arm. Link stops, looks at him, waits. Rhett steps closer, wraps his arms around his friend and hugs him tightly. There is a moment where Rhett feels like he stepped right over a ledge before Link's arms wrap around him and Link is hugging him back.

His chest is tight and he inhales shakily. He lets go of Link and Link's arms fall away.

“Is she mad at me?” Rhett asks.

Link frowns at him and nudges his glasses up. “Who?”

“Christy.”

Link's frown deepens. “When did you talk to Christy?”

Rhett purses his lips. “I didn't. I meant-- New Year's, man! Is she mad about it?”

“Oh!” Link wraps his arms tightly around himself. “No. She-- I didn't tell her-- I just told her you called to say happy new year. She was mad at me for a while.”

Rhett chews on his lower lip. He twists his fingers together.

“Can we not talk about this now?” Link says.

Rhett nods, eyes at the floor. He stays in place, like his feet are too heavy, until he finally manages to drag himself to his office chair.

The workday seems to exist in its own time-space continuum. Minutes crawl and hours fly and the relatively small distance between his desk and Link's feel unbridgeable and yet their office feels suffocatingly small. The walls lean in, cooked and threatening to tumble. It all seemed like the work of German expressionism.

A hand on his shoulder has him jumping nearly out of his chair. Clutching his chest he glares at Link who is grinning down at him.

“Don't do that!”

Link is still smiling. “I really scared you.”

“No,” Rhett grumbles which earns him a laugh from Link.

“Right.” Link clasps his shoulder again. “It's time to head home.”

Rhett grabs his phone, screen lighting up and showing him that they had already stayed a few minutes late.

“We're already gonna be late. Let's be more late,” he says but Link pulls his hand away and shakes his head.

“No. We took separate cars. If you _want_ Christy to be upset with you--”

Rhett shakes his head slowly and lets out a heavy sigh. “No.”

“Right. Home?”

“Yeah. Home.”

* * *

 

The next day is much of a repeat. Link went to the gym and Rhett doesn't so they arrive separately again. They don't spend much time in the office or much time together alone. Rhett keeps feeling words burning on the back of his tongue. He has been swallowing embers since he called Link on New Year's Eve and they are slowly burning through him.

Link goes for a nap in their nap loft during the afternoon. Rhett gives it five minutes before he sneaks into their office like a thief in the night. His hands are clammy and he wipes them on his jeans. His heart is slamming into his ribs and with each beat there is a wave of nausea that keeps flowing and ebbing, ebbing and flowing. He reaches the top of the ladder to the loft and as soon as he looks through the floor, he meets Link's eyes.

Link keeps looking at him as Rhett tiptoes over. Keeps looking as Rhett takes off his shoes and as he climbs into the bed. Rhett looks into those blue eyes once he's settled on his side, facing Link. He barely breathes as he reaches for Link's hand and laces their fingers together, clasped hands tucked between their bodies. Rhett laid down close but, apart from their hands, they aren't touching.

Link's legs shifts. Rhett moves too.

Slowly they end up with their legs tangled together and Rhett really can't breathe anymore. His entire body is thrumming. His hand in Link's is like closing a circuit and the electricity surges through him.

Their eyes keep meeting. Rhett keep looking down at Link's lip. His gaze gets dragged down. Magnetic. Rhett bites his own lip and looks Link in the eye again. The world exists on two planes and one is in the heat of Link's body so close and touching his, in the tiny space between their lips and in the wild beat of Rhett's heart. The other is faint and distant. A faded photograph, maybe. A reflection in a pond. It's promises and responsibilities and being a much better person than the one in lying in a too small bed, too close to someone who shouldn't be more than a best friend.

“Rhett,” Link whispers and instead of shattering a fragile silence it breathes warmth into the already pulsing heat between them.

Rhett's hand wriggles from Link's and instead he clutches at Link's waist. He tugs and Link shifts. Rhett lets his fingers dig in even as Link squirms underneath his hand. He grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut. A soft touch to his cheek makes his eyes fly open and he inhales as if he has been holding his breath. He blinks. Link's eyes are lidded and his lips slightly parted and Rhett bites he inside of his cheek.

“Wanna kiss you,” Rhett mumbles. Barely articulates, barely even shapes words or sounds at all.

He falls deeper with Link's shaky inhale. They're forehead to forehead. Rhett's eyes are burning and he keeps clutching at Link.

“I know you do.”

Rhett's next breath is almost a sob. It's a wounded sound. He is nearly clawing at Link's t-shirt as Link presses even closer.

“Gosh, you make me stupid.”

“You're always stupid,” Link mumbles and Rhett jabs him in the stomach. “Ouch!”

“You're stupider,” he says, fingers digging in, tickling.

Link laughs and squirms and cries out “Mercy! Mercy!”

Rhett lets up. Their both smiling and Rhett a pleasant warmth settles in Rhett's belly. Until Link's smile fades and turns to a frown.

“We can't do this,” Link tells him.

“Do what? I don't understand? We're not doing anything. It's just a tickle fight.”

The look Link gives him cuts right through the last tendrils of heat and slashes freezing cold through Rhett's chest.

“Don't act that stupid. You're not that stupid,” Link says. He untangles himself from Rhett, puts on his glasses and shoes and leaves the nap loft.

He takes every last bit of warmth with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask and you shall receive. Don't say I didn't warn you; I did say more of this would fix nothing. ;)


End file.
